Sevilla and Three Guided Tours (Part 3 of 4)

Eastern Sevilla from the Giralda Belfry in the Grand Cathedral.

I arrived in Sevilla not expecting much.  To be honest, I didn't know much about the city other than what my Lonely Planet, Europe told me (which is true of most cities I visit!): there's a cathedral, royal fortress and a handful of other sites to visit.  As such, this made the city a little bigger than Cordoba and Granada but the digital book's non-flowery descriptions implied that it lacked their grand sites (Mezquita and Alhambra).  After an afternoon visiting them, I recommend that the series' editor revamps his descriptions because this city's attractions were just as grand as it predecessors', if not more so.

I saw three of them, and the Sevilla Cathedral and Real Alcazaba (Royal Fortress) were two of the top sites that I've seen in the past four months.  The third, the city's bullfighting stadium and museum, was worth the admission but lacked the "awe" factor of the other two.

The first site I visited was the Real Alcazaba.  Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the fortress consisted of five major parts: a Triple Arch from the 12th Century, The Islamic Hall of Justice, The Spanish Admirals' Chambers, The Royal Palace and the Fortress Gardens.  Overall, the structure's style was a mixture of Islamic, Gothic and Renaissance design, but the most prevalent was the Islamic Almohad dynasty's influence throughout the palace.  Evident in the main entry hall's privacy and all of the lower-level walls and ceilings, I've seen the zellij (ornamentation) and sebka (lattice) before in Fes and Marrakech.

The Palace entrance displays stylings from Toledo, Granada and the Spanish Renaissance.

Most surprising though was the importance of The Admrals' Chambers, which was originally built in 1504 for the specific purpose of dealing with the new commercial interests coming from the Americas.  Chosen for its security (Sevilla was removed from a port), the building was also where Magellan planned the first trip around the world, Amerigo Vespucci carried out his duties and Juan de la Cosa drew the world's first modern atlas.  Now, the chambers host lectures as well as rotating art displays under the watchful eyes of 19th and 20th Century artwork.

The ceiling of the Audience Room in the Admirals' Chamber.

A 20th Century painting in the Admirals' Chambers that measured more than 2m x 3m and portrayed the coronation of the Spanish King before World War I.

The palace was "divided" into two levels.  The lower level appeared to be the basis of the original Islamic structure and ornamented entirely in Almohad style.  The second level, which appeared to be an addition, was predominantly Gothic design and scale.  Much more preserved than its Moroccan counterparts, the palace was also easier to navigate due to the cheap audio guide.  Overall, this site was a pleasant surprise and well-worth two hours.

The Courtyard of the Dolls was one of Prince Don Juan's room.  In it, doll heads are carved within the zellij on the sebka and columns.

The entryway to the Ambassadors' Room was straight from the Almohad playbook.

The ceiling of the Ambassadors' Room gave it the nickname of the "Room of the Half Orange."

In the Hall of the Tapestries, more than six giant works hang from cavernous walls.  Each measure at least 4m x 5m and are made of silk, gold and other fine materials.  In all, the ensemble is the finest tapestry collection in Spain.  This one depicts Spain's conquest of Tunisia, which includes present-day Morocco.

The Hall of Parties.  Christened during the wedding of Carlos V and Isabella, this room has wall tiles later dedicated by their son, William II.

The Mercury Pond was converted from a Moorish aqueduct in 1575.  Today fat carp (pictured) crowd towards tourists for food.

The next pleasant surprise made me feel foolish that it was a surprise.  The Sevilla Cathedral boasts more impressive facts than the audio guide appeared to have time for.  Also a World Heritage Site since 1987, it's the largest Gothic Cathedral in the World.  Second, it's the third largest Christian Cathedral in the World behind Saint Paul's in London and Saint Peter's in the Vatican.  Third, Christopher Columbus is buried there.  Fourth, the High Alter piece is the largest in the World, tells the story of Jesus and took 80 years to complete.

Fifth, the belfry holds 24 bells and is the largest in Spain.  Sixth, the art collection contained within the cathedral is the third largest / most expensive in Spain.  Finally, a thorn of Jesus' crucifixion crown is purportedly held in the Main Sacristy.  Along with dozens of other reasons, this site has now made it's way into my "Top 5" for the summer with the likes of Mezquita (Cordoba), Saint Peter's Basilica (Vatican), the Pantheon (Rome) and Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam).

The Cathedral was built over a mosque in 1172 when King Ferdinand retook Spain.  In 1433, work began on the Grand Gothic Temple that we see today and lasted 70 years.

The Giralda, which is the third of the minaret sisters.  The other two are located in Rabat's Maussoleum and Marrakesh's Koutubia Mosque.  Now a bell tower, it holds Spain's largest belfry with 24 bells.  34 flights of stairs lead visitors to the top of this late 12th Century tower.

A carving of Saint John the Baptist welcomes visitors to the Cathedral's pavilion.

The Retro Choir was created in 1400 and sits next to the tomb of Christopher Columbus' son, Ernando, who was a major donor to the cathedral.

The High Alter Piece (2/3 shown) is the largest in the World and tells the story of Christ's life.

The Chapel of Saint Francis, one of over 25 chapels in the Cathedral, is adorned by a stain glass window depicting the Saint receiving the Stigmata.

The Chapel of Saint Hermenegildo holds the realistic tomb of one of the Sevillan Cardinals.

The Chapel of Saint Andrew displays one of the many Crucifixion memorials in the Cathedral.  This anatomically-perfect rendition was my favorite piece in the entire Cathedral.

The Chapter House was oval and one of the most awe-inspiring rooms in the Cathedral.  A picture just doesn't do it justice.

The Belfry, where the 34 flights of stairs end atop the Giralda.  Each bell is named for a parish within Sevilla.

Christopher Columbus' tomb, which was said to have travelled almost as much as he did.

The Main Sacistry, an example of Spanish Renaissance Architecture, was built in 1528 and is 18m x 33m large.

I probably shouldn't have gone to the Bullfighting Stadium and Museum after these two sites, but it was still a good visit.  Cheap, simple and quick, the one-hour guided tour took me and about 30 others through the fighting ring, sub-bleacher museum and horse corral.  The stadium was simple but beautiful.  Able to hold 14,000 including the royal family, the concrete stands reminded me of "The Big House" in Ann Arbor, Michigan - little elbow and leg room!  The museum was divided into four sections: 18th Century bullfighting, 19th Century, 20th Century and miscellaneous artwork.  The most interesting part was the portraits of famous bullfighters, none of which a knucklehead like me has heard of.

Construction began in 1761, was completed in 1881 and is now in use most Sundays from Easter to October.

The inner columns...

...and stadium exterior.

Inside the 18th Century room of the museum.  Behind our guide is one of the bullfighting founders.  Encased in front of her are sketches and drawings of the first fights.

In this picture, Juan Belmonte, one of the 20th Century's greatest bullfighters.

Above, Joselito "El Gallo," another one of the Greats.

Lest we forget, there's a death at the end of nearly every fight...

...sometimes, that death happens in the stands!

And your Hail of Bulls...

• Sevilla's population, about 700,000, is about twice the size of Granada and Cordoba's.
• Like Cordoba, the Guadalquivir River runs through the city.
• Weather: After three days in Andalusia, I'm convinced that not a single cloud carries a Southern Spanish zip code.  Though a little breezy at times, that sun has never hidden behind a cloud.
• The Biggest Surprise to me was the grandeur of the Cathedral.  I should've known that it was the third largest Christian church in the world, but I didn't.  This thing blew me away.
• The 2nd Biggest Surpise: The interior of the Royal Fortress (Real Alcazaba) was very similar to that of Marrakech's Bahia Palace.  Both were Almohad and built around the same time period.
• Most Impressive Site in the Real Alcazaba: The palace door which incorporated three styles.  At the top, Toledo impressions; in the middle, An-Nassarid design from Granada and at the bottom, Gothic.
• Most Impressive Site or Artifact in the Cathedral: I enjoyed the Chapel of Saint Andrew's Crucifixion display, which was set against a red backdrop.  The statue was described as anatomically perfect and although there were several crucifixion paintings and statues, this one really separated itself from them.
• Nice Touch: When I exited the Cathedral, the pedestrian street leading downtown was covered by white drapes that provided just a enough shade for shoppers and tourists.
• The Bullfighting Ring was the cheapest of the three, costing only 6.50 euros (8.50 for the Alcazaba and 8.00 for the Cathedral).
• I spent the most time in the Cathedral (2 to 2 1/2 hours), then the Alcazaba (2 hours) and the Stadium (1 hour).
• If I were to rate these three sites on a scale of 1 to 10, the Cathedral gets a 10, Alcazaba a 9 and the Stadium a 6 - all pretty good!
• Is it worth a Return Trip?  It's not "if," but when!
• In Three Words...Sevilla was full of Unexpected Historical Grandeur.